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'I am not in the business of donating votes,' Uganda election boss defies pre-election threats
The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama.
What you need to know:
- The Electoral Commission will declare presidential results within 48 hours after the close of polling.
The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, has said threats from individuals, whom he did not name, will not deter him from declaring the winner of tomorrow’s presidential election.
Speaking to journalists on January 13, at the Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala, Justice Byabakama said he had received threats warning him against declaring certain candidates as winners but dismissed them as intimidation from “idle people.” He said only the will of voters and the law will guide the process.
“There is a lot of careless talk going on. Some people say if you don’t declare so-and-so as President, you will see. I tell them that I am not in the business of donating votes,” Justice Byabakama said.
“It is the voters who determine how many votes a candidate gets. What the voters have said is what I will declare to the nation. Idle people have been threatening me, but I am not worried. I am busy doing my work,” he added.
Justice Byabakama assured Ugandans that the law, not individual opinions or threats, will determine the outcome of the presidential election. “The law says that the candidate who receives more than 50 percent plus one of the total valid votes cast is the President of Uganda. The Presidential Elections Act commands the Electoral Commission to ascertain, declare, and publish the results. You cannot circumvent that provision,” he said.
He added that presidential election results will be declared within 48 hours after the close of polling, meaning the deadline will fall on Saturday, January 16, at around 4 pm. Eight candidates are contesting for the presidency, but the main contest is between President Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate seeking a seventh elective term, and the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine.
Voters
According to the Electoral Commission, about 21.6 million voters are registered to participate in the general election. In the 2021 presidential election, President Museveni garnered 5.4 million votes against Mr Kyagulanyi’s 2.5 million.
Security personnel deployment
Addressing concerns about heavy deployment of security forces, Justice Byabakama said the presence of security personnel is meant to ensure peace and stability during the electoral process and should not intimidate voters.
Military premises
He also clarified that no polling stations will be located within military premises. Justice Byabakama acknowledged receiving complaints from the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, regarding alleged polling stations near military installations, saying the Commission was investigating the matter.
“If we find that it is true, we shall take the necessary measures to address it,” he said.
The EC chairperson also announced guidelines governing the conduct of the elections. Among them, voters will not be allowed to appear at polling stations wearing party colours. Voting will begin after at least 10 voters have assembled at a polling station and will run from 7 am to 4 pm.
Vulnerable voters, including the elderly and the visually impaired, will be allowed assistance from trusted persons, though no individual will be permitted to assist more than one voter. People will also be required to leave polling stations immediately after casting their votes. Campaigning will cease 48 hours before polling day, while radio and television programmes featuring candidates will stop by midnight on Tuesday.
Mandate by law
Justice Byabakama emphasised that the declaration of results is the sole mandate of the Electoral Commission and warned media houses against announcing results. Likewise, bars operating near polling stations will be closed during polling hours, and candidates or supporters will not be allowed to use mobile sound systems or engage in voter bribery at polling stations. He further assured voters that all election materials will be delivered to polling stations on time.
Kampala region votes
Kampala Capital City, classified by the EC as Kampala Region, together with the districts of Buvuma, Mukono, Wakiso, Buikwe, make up a 3.7 million voting bloc, the largest in the country.
The NRM party has never won Kampala in the presidential polls, although it used to win some constituencies until the 2021 polls, when NUP ran away with almost all of them. The 2021 EC Election Report shows Mr Kyagulanyi scooped 394,787 votes, dwarfing the 28,658 votes collected by Mr Museveni in Kampala Capital City.
- By Jane Nafula
